Recommended Reading List

Year 5 & Year 6

Contemporary Fiction

Hansel and Gretel

Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm Anthony Browne

This book brings together one of the most popular and powerful of all fairy tales and one of the world's greatest picture book artists, Hans Christian

Andersen Award-winner Anthony Browne.

The Tunnel

Anthony Browne

A brother and sister who don’t get along. One day they discover the tunnel. The boy goes through it at once, dismissing his sister's fears. When he doesn't return, his sister has to pluck up the courage to go through the

tunnel too. She finds her brother in a mysterious forest where he has been turned to stone...

Leon and the Place Between

Graham Baker-Smith

Leon volunteers to be in Abdul Kazam's magic show and gets transported to a mysterious world. Filled with rabbits, doves, playing cards and magician's assistants - among other things - if a magician can make it disappear, it will

end up in the Place Between!

The Adventures of The Dish and

The Spoon Mini Grey

Part love story, part crime caper, The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon is the rags-to-riches and back again tale of the most dazzling crockery-cutlery

duo of all time. Reminiscent of Bonnie & Clyde.

The Arrival Shaun Tan

What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey alone to a

mysterious country, a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown? This silent graphic novel is the story of

every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to all those who have made the journey.

Nightlights

Lorena Alvarez

Every night, tiny stars appear out of the darkness in Sandy’s bedroom. She catches them and creates wonderful creatures to play with until she falls

asleep, and in the morning brings them back to life in the whimsical drawings that cover her room. One day, Morpie, a mysterious pale girl, appears at

school. And she knows all about Sandy’s drawings…

How To Live Forever

Colin Thompson

Colin Thompson's books are mystical and complex, they will appeal to

children and adults alike and demand to be returned to as there is always a new image to see . . . something more to catch the eye. Peter and his family live among the Quinces in the cookery section of a mystical library, and at

night, when the library comes to life, Peter ventures out of his home to find a missing volume: How To Live Forever.

Asterix the Gaul

Renne Goscinny Albert Uderzo

In a tiny corner of Brittany, one small village of indomitable Gauls hold out

against the almighty, all-conquering Romans. The Gauls are mighty fighters, but none more so than Asterix, a dauntless and cunning warrior who gets his tremendous strength from drinking a magic potion supplied to him by Druid

Getafix. Together with his companion Obelix, he embarks on a series of adventures, beginning with rescuing Getaflix when he is captured by the

Romans.

The Lost Happy Endings

Carol Ann Duffy Jane Ray

What would happen if we lost the happy endings to stories? A fantastic and magical tale about what happens when, one night, a wicked witch steals the

happy endings to bedtime stories. It is up to Jub, the keeper of the happy endings, to save the day and ensure sweet dreams everywhere in this lyrical

story about storytelling. In the tradition of classic fairy tales for children.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s

Stone J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start

dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-

eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of

Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Percy Jackson And The Lightning

Thief Ric Riordan

Percy was just an average kid, playing basketball, skate boarding etc, until he

accidentally vaporizes his maths teacher. This results in him battling monsters and generally trying to stay alive.

Half boy. Half God. ALL Hero.

The Edge Chronicles- The Curse of

the Gloamglozer Stewart Riddell

This is the first book of the Quint Saga – first trilogy in The Edge Chronicles, the internationally best-selling fantasy series, which has featured on the UK and the New York Times best-seller lists and sold more than 3 million copies.

There are now 13 titles and four trilogies in the series, but each book is a stand-alone adventure which can be read in any order.

The Mozart Question

Michael Morpurgo

When Lesley is sent to Venice to interview world-renowned violinist Paulo

Levi on his fiftieth birthday, she cannot believe her luck. She is told that she can ask him anything at all – except the Mozart question. But it is Paulo

himself who decides that the time has come for the truth to be told. And so follows the story of his parents in a Jewish concentration camp. As the story unfolds, the journalist begins to understand the full horror of war – and how

one group of musicians survived using the only weapon they had.

Stormbreaker

Anthony Horowitz

Fourteen-year-old Alex is forcibly recruited into MI6. Armed with secret

gadgets, he is sent to investigate Herod Sayle, a man who is offering state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers to every school in the country. But the

teenage spy soon finds himself in mortal danger.

The Unforgotten Coat Frank Cottrell Boyce

Two refugee brothers from Mongolia are determined to fit in with their

Liverpool schoolmates. Their new friend and guide, Julie, recollects a special friendship that was abruptly ended.

Kensuke’s Kingdom Michael Murpurgo

A castaway adventure.

Washed up on an island in the Pacific, Michael struggles to survive on his own. With no food and no water, he curls up to die. When he wakes, there is a plate beside him of fish, of fruit, and a bowl of fresh water. He is not alone .

. .

Wonder

R.J. Palacio

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice

cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids

aren't stared at wherever they go. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school -

and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

To be a Cat Matt Haig

Barney Willow's life couldn't get any worse. He's weedy, with sticky-out ears. Horrible Gavin Needle loves tormenting him - Barney has no idea why. And

headteacher-from-hell Miss Whipmire seems determined to make every second of Barney's existence a complete misery! Worst of all, Dad has been missing for almost a year, and there's no sign of him ever coming home. Barney just wants to escape. To find another life. To be a cat, for example. A quiet, lazy cat. Things

would be so much easier - right?

Clockwork Philip Pullman

Tick, tock, tick tock! Some stories are like that. Once you’ve wound them up,

nothing will stop them… A tormented apprentice clock-maker, a deadly mechanical knight…Wind up

these characters, fit them into a story on a cold winter’s evening and suddenly life and the story begin to merge in a peculiarly macabre-and unstoppable-way.

Cogheart

Peter Bunzl

Lily’s life is in mortal peril. Her father is missing and now silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. What could they want from her? With her friends – Robert, the clockmaker’s son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox – Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing world. Too soon Lily realises that those she holds

dear may be the very ones to break her heart... Murder, mayhem and mystery meet in this gripping Victorian adventure.

Brightstorm Vashti Hardy

Twins Arthur and Maudie receive word in Lontown that their famous explorer father died in a failed attempt to reach South Polaris. Not only that, but he has been accused of trying to steal fuel from his competitors before he died! The

twins don't believe the news, and they answer an ad to help crew a new exploration attempt in the hope of learning the truth and salvaging their family's

reputation. As the winged ship Aurora sets sail, the twins must keep their wits about them and prove themselves worthy of the rest of the crew. But will Arthur

and Maudie find the answers they seek?

The Eye of the North

Sinead O’Hart

Emmeline Widget has never left Widget Manor – and that’s the way she likes it. But when her scientist parents mysteriously disappear, she finds herself being packed off on a ship to France, heading for a safe house in Paris. On board she is befriended by an urchin stowaway called Thing. But before she can reach her destination she is kidnapped by the sinister Dr Siegfried Bauer. Dr Bauer is bound for the ice fields of Greenland to summon a legendary monster from the deep. And he isn’t the only one determined to unleash the creature. The North witch has laid claim to the beast, too. Can Emmeline and Thing stop their fiendish plans and save the world?

Roof Toppers

Katherine Rundell

Winner of the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children's Book

Prize, and shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. Found floating in a cello case and swaddled in a Beethoven score, she is the only recorded female survivor of a shipwreck on the English Channel.

But Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help...

Oranges in No Man’s Land

Elizabeth Laird

Since her father left Lebanon to find work and her mother tragically died in a shell attack, ten-year-old Ayesha has been living in the bomb-ravaged city of

Beirut with her granny and her two younger brothers. The city has been torn in half by civil war and a desolate, dangerous no man's land divides the two sides. Only militiamen and tanks dare enter this deadly zone, but when Granny falls

desperately ill, Ayesha sets off on a terrifying journey to reach a doctor living in enemy territory.

Boy In The Tower

Polly Ho-Yen

When they first arrived, they came quietly and stealthily as if they tip-toed into

the world when we were all looking the other way. Ade loves living at the top of a tower block. From his window, he feels like he can see the whole world

stretching out beneath him. But one day, other tower blocks on the estate start falling down around them and strange, menacing plants begin to appear. Now

their tower isn’t safe anymore. Ade and his mum are trapped and there’s no way out . . .

Who Let the Gods Out?

Maz Evans

A shooting star crashes to earth and changes Elliot's life forever. The star is Virgo - a young Zodiac goddess on a mission. When the pair accidentally unleash the wicked death daemon Thanatos, they turn to the old Olympian gods for help.

But after centuries of cushy retirement on earth, are Zeus and his crew up to the task?

Holes

Louis Sachar

Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn't green and doesn't have a lake) he is not surprised. Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. The evil warden claims that it is character building, but this is a lie and Stanley

must dig up the truth.

Rollergirl

Victoria Jamieson

For most of her twelve years, Astrid has done everything with her best friend Nicole.

But after Astrid falls in love with roller derby and signs up for derby camp, Nicole decides to go to dance camp instead. And so begins the most difficult summer of

Astrid's life as she struggles to keep up with the older girls at camp, hang on to the friend she feels slipping away, and cautiously embark on a new friendship. As the

end of summer nears and her first roller derby bout (and junior high!) draws closer, Astrid realizes that maybe she is strong enough to handle the bout, a lost friendship,

and middle school... in short, strong enough to be a roller girl.

The Weirdstone of Brisingamen

Alan Garner

When Colin and Susan are pursued by eerie creatures across Alderley Edge, they are saved by the Wizard. He takes them into the caves of Fundindelve, where he

watches over the enchanted sleep of one hundred and forty knights. But the heart of the magic that binds them – Firefrost, also known as the Weirdstone of

Brisingamen – has been lost. The Wizard has been searching for the stone for more than 100 years, but the forces of evil are closing in, determined to possess

and destroy its special power. Colin and Susan realise at last that they are the key to the Weirdstone’s return.

A Face Like Glass Frances Hardinge

In the underground city of Caverna there are wines that can remove memories and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer. The people of Caverna are more ordinary, but for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow.

Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to show joy, despair or fear - at a price.Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a little girl with no memory of her past and a face so

terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. For Neverfell's emotions are as obvious on her face as those of the most skilled

Facesmiths, though entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed . . .

Skellig

David Almond

When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain.Then, one Sunday afternoon, he

stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home, and finds something magical. A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive. With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital. But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister,

Michael's world changes for ever . . .

Varmints

Helen Ward

Once, the only sounds to be heard were the buzzing of bees in the grass, the murmuring of moles in the earth, and the song of birds in the sky. These warmed the hearts of those who cared to listen - until the others came to fill the sky with

a cacophony of noise.

The Girl of Ink and Stars Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella dreams of the faraway lands her

cartographer father once mapped. When her friend disappears, she volunteers to guide the search. The world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland -

and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella

discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.

Tin

Padraig Kenny

Christopher is 'Proper': a real boy with a real soul, orphaned in a fire. He works

for an engineer, a maker of the eccentric, loyal and totally individual mechanicals who are Christopher's best friends. But after a devastating accident, a secret is

revealed and Christopher's world is changed for ever ... What follows is a remarkable adventure, as Christopher discovers who he really is, and what it

means to be human.

Kick

Mitch Johnson

Budi's plan is simple. He's going to be a star. Budi's going to play for the greatest team on earth, instead of sweating over each stitch he sews, each football boot

he makes. But one unlucky kick brings Budi's world crashing down. Now he owes the Dragon, the most dangerous man in Jakarta. Soon it isn't only Budi's dreams

at stake, but his life. A story about dreaming big, about hope and heroes, and never letting anything stand in your way.

Skysong

Abi Elphinstone

In the snowy kingdom of Erkenwald, whales glide between icebergs, wolves hunt on the tundra and polar bears roam the glaciers. But the people of this land aren’t so easy to find - because Erkenwald is ruled by an evil Ice Queen

and the tribes must stay hidden or risk becoming her prisoners at Winterfang Palace.

This is a story about an eagle huntress, an inventor and an organ made of icicles. But it is also a story about belonging, even at the very edges of our

world . . .

Pax

Sara Pennypacker

The moving story of the extraordinary friendship between a boy and his fox and their epic journey to be reunited. Pax was only a kit when his family was killed and he was rescued by ‘his boy’, Peter. Now the country is at war and

when his father enlists, Peter has no choice but to move in with his grandfather. Far worse than leaving home is the fact that he has to leave Pax

behind.

Sector 7

David Weisner

Only the person who gave us Tuesday could have devised this fantastic

Caldecott Honor-winning tale, which begins with a school trip to the Empire State Building. There, a boy on a school trip makes friends with a

mischievous little cloud, who whisks him away to the Cloud Dispatch Center for Sector. The clouds are bored with their everyday shapes, so the boy

obligingly starts to sketch some new ones. . . .

London Eye Mystery

Siobhan Dowd

11.32am. Ted and his sister Kat watch their cousin Salim get on board the

London Eye. The pod rises from the ground, high above the city. 12.02am. The pod lands and the doors open. Everyone exits - everyone but Salim. Even the police are baffled - so it's up to Ted, whose brain runs on its own unique operating system, to solve this mystery and find Salim. Teaming

up with Kat, Ted follows a trail of clues across London - while time ticks dangerously by...

Literary Heritage

Goodnight Mister Tom

Michelle Magorian

Young Willie Beech is evacuated to the country as Britain stands on the brink of the Second World War. A sad, deprived child, he slowly begins to flourish under

the care of old Tom Oakley - but his new-found happiness is shattered by a summons from his mother back in London . . .

Winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Award.

Carrie’s War Nina Bawden

It is wartime and Carrie and her little brother Nick have been evacuated from

their London home to the Welsh hills. In an unfamiliar place, among strangers, the children feel alone and find little comfort with the family they are billeted with. When Carrie and Nick visit Albert, another evacuee, they are welcomed

into Hepzibah Green's warm kitchen. With Albert, Hepzibah and Mister Johnny, they begin to settle into their new surroundings. But before long, their loyalties

are tested: will they be persuaded to betray their new friends?

Treasure Island

Robert Louis Stevenson

Peg-legged pirates, colourful parrots, and plundered riches—they’re all here in Robert Louis Stevenson’s original seafaring adventure. When young Jim Hawkins

decides to follow a map to buried treasure, he must befriend or outsmart memorable characters such as pirate Long John Silver, captain Billy Bones, and

island man Ben Gunn. Mutinous plans, mysterious deaths, and a tangle of double crosses keep Jim guessing all the way to the prize.

Tom’s Midnight Garden

Philippa Pearce

When Tom is sent to stay at his aunt and uncle's house for the summer, he resigns himself to endless weeks of boredom. As he lies awake in his bed he

hears the grandfather clock downstairs strike . . .eleven . . . twelve . . . thirteen . . . Thirteen! Tom races down the stairs and out the back door, into a garden

everyone told him wasn't there. In this enchanted thirteenth hour, the garden comes alive - but Tom is never sure whether the children he meets there are

real or ghosts . . .

The Secret Garden

Frances Hodgson Burnett

When spoiled child Mary Lennox loses her family to a cholera outbreak, she moves to her uncle’s manor surrounded by a massive garden. Within, Mary discovers a whole new outlook on life thanks to a supportive household and

the garden’s power of healing.

The Hobbit

J.R.R.Tolkien

The Hobbit is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is

Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar. Encounters with trolls, goblins, dwarves, elves and giant spiders, conversations with the dragon,

Smaug, and a rather unwilling presence at the Battle of Five Armies are just some of the adventures that befall Bilbo. Bilbo Baggins has taken his place

among the ranks of the immortals of children’s fiction. Written by Professor Tolkien for his own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim

when published.

Alison in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a

girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the

story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative

course and structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy

genre.

The Call of the Wild, White Fang and Other Stories

Jack London

The Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1906) are world famous animal stories. Set in Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s, The Call of the Wild is about Buck, the magnificent cross-bred offspring of a St

Bernard and a Scottish Collie. The story records the 'decivilisation' of Buck as he answers 'the call of the wild', an inherent memory of primeval origins to which he instinctively responds. In contrast, White Fang relates the tale of a wolf born and bred in the wild which is civilised by the master he comes to

trust and love.

Swallows and Amazons

Arthur Ransome

John, Susan, Titty and Roger sail their boat, Swallow, to a deserted island for a summer camping trip. Exploring and playing sailors is an adventure in itself

but the island holds more excitement in store. Two fierce Amazon pirates, Nancy and Peggy, challenge them to war and a summer of battles and

alliances ensues.

Five Children and It

E.Nesbit

Don't you know a sand-fairy when you see one?'

I dare say you have often thought about what you would do if you were granted three wishes. The five children - Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and their

baby brother - had often talked about it but when they are faced with the grumpy sand-fairy they find it difficult to make up their minds. And that is

just the beginning of their dilemmas. As they discover, there is nothing quite like a wish for getting you into terrible trouble.

Five Children on the Western Front

The five children have grown up and World War I has begun in earnest. Cyril is off to fight, Anthea is at art college, Robert is a Cambridge scholar and Jane

is at high school. The Lamb is the grown up age of 11, and he has a little sister, Edith, in tow. The sand fairy has become a creature of stories ... until, for the first time in 10 years, he suddenly reappears. The siblings are pleased

to have something to take their minds off the war, but this time the Psammead is here for a reason, and his magic might have a more serious

purpose.

Kim

Rudyard Kipling

Kim is an orphan who earns his living begging on the streets of Lahore. One day he befriends an aged Tibetan Lama who, although content to live simply

in India, is a rich and powerful abbot in his own country. When the Lama recruits Kim as a disciple and then funds his education at an English public

school an adventure begins that will take the unlikely pair to the Himalayas on a thrilling journey of espionage and enlightenment.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Jules Vernes

Join the intrepid and eccentric Professor Liedenbrock and his companions on a thrilling and dramatic expedition as they travel down a secret tunnel in a volcano in Iceland on a journey which will lead them to the centre of the earth. Along the way they encounter various hazards and witness many

incredible sights such as the underground forest, illuminated by electricity, the Great Geyser, the battle between prehistoric monsters, the strange whispering gallery, giant insects and the vast subterranean sea with its

ferocious whirlpool.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Mark Twain

Impish, daring young Tom Sawyer is a hero to his friends and a torment to his relations. For wherever there is mischief or adventure, Tom is at the heart of

it. During one hot summer, Tom witnesses a murder, runs away to be a pirate, attends his own funeral, rescues an innocent man from the gallows,

searches for treasure in a haunted house, foils a devilish plot and discovers a box of gold. But can he escape his nemesis, the villainous Injun Joe?

Little Women

Louisa May Alcott

Christmas won't be the same this year for Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, as their father is away fighting in the Civil War, and the family has fallen on hard times. But though they may be poor, life for the four March sisters is rich

with colour, as they play games, put on wild theatricals, make new friends, argue, grapple with their vices, learn from their mistakes, nurse each other

through sickness and disappointments, and get into all sorts of trouble.

Poetry and Playscripts

The Highway Man

Alfred Noyes

Alfred Noyes's thrilling poem is charged with drama and tension. Ride with the highwayman and recoil from the terrible fate that befalls him and his sweetheart Bess, the landlord's daughter. The vivid imagery of the writing is matched by Charles Keeping's haunting illustrations which won him the Kate Greenaway Medal.

Overheard in a Tower Block

Joseph Coelho

Gazing at the stars from five storeys up, smelling the bins from five storeys below. Overheard arguments, overheard laughter. A disappearing father and a Mermaid-Queen mother; statues that sing for flesh and blood; bullies who kick you under the table; perfect red trainers - and the things that lurk in the library...Award-winning poet Joseph Coelho's astonishing new collection is a powerful and moving poetic narrative about growing up in the city.

Booked

Kwame Alexander

Twelve-year-old Nick is a football-mad boy who absolutely hates books. In this follow-up to the Newbery-winning novel The Crossover, football, family, love, and friendship take centre stage as Nick tries to figure out how to navigate his parents’ break-up, stand up to bullies, and impress the girl of his dreams. These challenges – which seem even harder than scoring a tie-breaking, game-winning goal – change his life, as well as his best friend’s. This energetic novel-in-verse by the poet Kwame Alexander captures all the thrills and setbacks, the action and emotion of a World Cup match.

The Lost Words

Robert Macfarlane & Jackie Morris

Once upon a time, words began to vanish from the language of children. They disappeared so quietly that at first almost no one noticed-until one day, they were gone.

100 Best Poems for Children Chosen by Children. Edited by

Rodger McGough

From the hundreds of poems originally chosen by children themselves, Roger McGough has selected a top 100 no child should be without.

The Works-Key Stage 2 Chosen by Pie Corbett

This contains poems which cover every form and theme, an index of poem types, advice for writing poems, advice for reading poems, lots of poetry activities and some workshop ideas and lesson plans.

Where My Wellies Take Me Clare and Michael Morpurgo

In their first ever book together, clare and Michael Morpurgo have created a classic for children, told with the help of their most beloved poets including Shakespeare, William Blake and Ted Hughes. Pippa goes for a walk in the countryside, her head full of the poems she loves.

Poetry for Kids Emily Dickinson

As the premier title in the Poetry for Kids series, Emily Dickinson introduces children to the works of poet Emily Dickinson. Poet, professor, and scholar Susan Snively has carefully chosen 35 poems of interest. Each poem is beautifully illustrated by Christine Davenier and thoroughly explained by an expert.

Rhythm and Poetry

Karl Nova

The first published collection from Hip Hop poet Karl Nova has a refreshing directness, honesty and authenticity. Many of the poems are drawn from the workshops he does with children and young people as well as from his performances. The poems capture the rap beat and tone, demonstrating the currency and significance of rap as a form, especially for young people.

Hughes enters the timeless world of folklore and fable and brings home a wonderful haul, managing to produce comedy, tragedy and magic from the same net, and then to move effortlessly between them. He makes stories from familiar elements (the Nativity, or Beauty and the Beast or a quest to save a sickening king), but approaches them from unexpected angles and sets them off in different directions. What characterizes the pieces is the energy Hughes generates not only in the unfolding action but in the drama of the language itself, which is as robustly up-to-date as it is lyrical.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

Shakespeare’s The Tempest For

Kids Brendan P Kelso

The Tempest like you have never read it before: quick, fun, and easy to understand. Written in a play format and designed for 7-18+ actors, kids of all ages, or anyone who wants to enjoy and loosely understand Shakespeare's play.

Lost Magic

Brian Moses

A beautiful collection of the very best poems by Brian Moses. Includes 'Walking with My Iguana' 'The Lost Angels', 'Aliens Stole My Underpants', 'Behind the Staffroom Door', 'Lost Magic', 'The Sssnake Hotel', 'A Feather from an Angel', 'Cakes in the Staffroom' and many, many more.

Centrally Heated Knickers

Michael Rosen

Discover the wierd and wonderful world of martians, woolly saucepans and centrally heated knickers in 100 poems about science and technology from the delightfully irreverent, Michael Rosen.

Non-Fiction

Corpse Talk: Season 1 Adam Murphy

The dead are rising! Up out of the mouldering pages of history comes the chat show that digs the dirt on some of history's most famous, infamous and downright incredible men and women. What was the secret of Cleopatra's irresistible personality? Why did Genghis Khan become obsessed with world domination? Which scientist is still radioactive, almost 100 years after her death? Join your host, ADAM MURPHY, as he gets the answers to these questions and many more, on CORPSE TALK, the show that brings the dead famous to life!

Books are one of humankind's greatest forms of expression, and now Book, in a witty, idiosyncratic voice, tells us the inside story. A wonderfully eccentric character with strong opinions and a poetic turn of phrase, Book tells of a journey from papyrus scrolls to medieval manuscripts to printed paper and beyond--pondering, along the way, many bookish things, including the evolution of the alphabet, the library (known to Egyptians as "the healing place of the soul"), and even book burning. With bold, black-and-white illustrations by Neil Packer, Book is a captivating work of nonfiction by one of England's leading poets.

A really Short History of Nearly

Everything Bill Bryson

Bill's story-telling skill makes the "How?" and, just as importantly, the "Who?" of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for all ages. In this exciting edition for younger readers, he explores the mysteries of time and space and how, against all odds, life came to be on this wondrous planet we call home. Along the way we meet several bizarre scientists, crackpot theories which held sway for far too long, and some accidental discoveries which changed the way science developed.

How the World Works

Christiane Dorion & Beverley Young

How did life begin? Is the earth moving beneath our feet? Why does it rain? Find out the answers to these questions and many more in this hands-on exploration of our incredible planet.

How We Make Stuff

Christiane Dorion & Beverley Young

Where do our clothes come from? What's the link between gorillas and mobile phones? Does chocolate grow on trees? Find out in this hands-on guide to how we make the things most of us take for granted.

How Machines Work

David Macaulay

How Machines Work uses pop-ups and award-winning illustrations to

demonstrate the technology of six simple machines. Follow the mad antics of

Sloth and his side-kick Sengi as they try to break out of the zoo with the help

of levers, pulleys, screws, inclined planes, wedges and wheels.

Brought to life through pop-ups and pull-outs meaning you can explore six

simple machines, from bicycles and cranes to hammers and drills, through

interactive science.

The Way Things Work Now

David Macaulay

Get to grips with how things work inside hundreds of machines with this extraordinary book that explains the science behind technologies and inventions. In this extensive encyclopaedia, packed full of simple science for kids, David Macaulay's beautiful illustrations show the inner workings of each machine from clocks and watches, to jet engines and the internet. From the basic lever to the modern microprocessor, this bestseller has been completely updated with the latest technologies, and explains every machine you've ever wanted to understand, and some you've probably never thought about.

Women in Science: 50 Fearless

Pioneers who changed the world

A gloriously illustrated celebration of trailblazing women. Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, from both the ancient and modern worlds. The book also contains fascinating infographics and an illustrated scientific glossary. The extraordinary women profiled include well-known figures like the physicist and chemist Marie Curie, as well as lesser-known pioneers such as Katherine Johnson, the African-American mathematician who calculated the trajectory of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

A World of Cities

James Brown

Climb Paris's Eiffel Tower, explore Cairo's ancient pyramids, wander the busy streets of New Delhi and see the lights of Shanghai in this whirlwind tour of the world's most beautiful cities. Print-maker James Brown, has rendered each city in bold, bright colours, with fascinating facts about the history and culture incorporated into the contemporary designs. London, New York and Tokyo have never looked so stylish – or so alive.

Magnificant Birds

Narisa Togo

Discover incredible birds from around the world with this exquisite picture book. From the bird-of-paradise that performs its extravagantly colourful courtship dance in the rainforest to the bar-tailed godwit that flies thousands of miles across the ocean without stopping, explore the world of magnificent birds in this beautiful book, created in association with the RSPB.

Real-Life Mysteries

Susan Martineau & Vicky Barker

Have you ever wondered what exactly does go bump in the night? From mysteries like Shackleton's ghostly companion to the Loch Ness Monster and friends, read the amazing evidence about these mysterious cases and make up your own mind. Quench your curiosity with this new myth-busting (and sometimes, myth-confirming!) fascinating kids case study book. Things are not always what they seem - until they are, then you might wish you had never asked!